Why Chain Setup Is Part of the Method

Chains aren't just extra weight. The whole point is the loading curve: as the bar rises and your mechanical advantage increases, the chain comes off the floor, and resistance goes up. As the bar descends into the hole or the bottom of a press, chain pools and resistance drops. That's accommodating resistance — and it only works if the chain is set up correctly.

Too high and the chain never fully deloads. Too low and not enough comes off the floor at the top to matter. Sloppy setup doesn't just waste time — it means you're not running the method. You're just adding weight you didn't account for.

The EZ Squat-Bench Loader Straps are designed specifically to solve that.

How They Work

The straps loop onto each sleeve of your barbell and give you multiple attachment points to position the chain at the right height for your lift. That position controls two things:

• How much chain is piled on the floor at the bottom of the movement, your deloaded weight?
  
  
• How much chain is hanging freely at the top, your fully loaded weight.

Change the attachment point, and you change the loading curve. Do it in seconds, not minutes.

Built for Specialty Bars

Powerlifters running chains are rarely on a straight bar. Safety Squat Bars, cambered bars, SS Yoke Bar,  the bars that actually show up in serious squat training have different sleeve profiles, angles, and positions. Chain setups that work cleanly on a straight bar can bind, slide, or attach in the wrong position on specialty bars.

The EZ Squat-Bench Loader Straps are designed to work across bar types. Your chain training method shouldn't change because the bar did.

Fast Setup. Fast Transitions.

If you're running waves, working with a training partner, or cycling multiple lifters through the same setup, setup speed matters. Every minute fixing chains is a minute cooling off before your next attempt.

These straps go on and off in seconds. Adding or pulling chains per side takes seconds. Once you've found the right adjustment for a given lifter at a given depth, maintaining that setup or changing it is one move.

Specs

• Sold as a pair (one per sleeve)
• Works with straight bars and all specialty bars
• Multiple adjustment points for chain height control

What These Are Not

These are not a deadlift strap. They are built specifically for squat and bench press. For pulls, the elitefts EZ Deadlift Loader Straps are the right tool, a shorter, simpler setup for a lift where height control matters less. Keep the right tool on the right lift.

Chains are not included. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between this and the EZ Deadlift Loader Straps?
The Squat-Bench version is longer with more adjustment points. Squatting and pressing require you to control the chain's height across a long range of motion — that's where the loading and deloading curve lives. The Deadlift Loader is shorter and simpler because the chain-to-floor relationship on a pull is more fixed. Use this strap for squats and bench presses. Use the Deadlift strap for pulls.

Do chains come with these?
No. This is the strap system only. elitefts sells training chains separately.

Will these work on a Safety Squat Bar or Yoke Bar?
Yes. They are specifically designed to work across specialty bar profiles — not just straight bars.

How much chain can I run per side?
We have loaded over 300 pounds per side with no issues, except feeling a lot of boat load of weight at the top! 

Why not just run a carabiner through the collar?
A collar-mounted carabiner offers no height control. The chain hangs from a fixed point and you can't adjust where it loads or deloads without modifying the chain or moving the collar. These straps give you multiple positions to set a consistent, repeatable chain height for every lifter, every lift, every session.